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A Series of Unfortunate Events is a children's book series, written by Daniel Handler under the pseudonym of Lemony Snicket, and illustrated by Brett Helquist. The first book in the series, The Bad Beginning, was published in 1999 by HarperCollins Children's Books. The thirteenth and final book, The End, was released on Friday, October 13, 2006.
A film version, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, based on the first three books, was released on December 17, 2004.
The series follows the unlucky lives of the three siblings — Violet Baudelaire, Klaus Baudelaire and Sunny Baudelaire — after the sudden deaths of their parents in a fire at their family home. In The Bad Beginning, they are sent to live with their supposed third cousin, four times removed (or their fourth cousin three times removed), Count Olaf, a most unpleasant, evil man. In the following books, Olaf often disguises himself to get nearer to the orphans in hope of stealing their fortune. The orphans routinely try to get help from their parent's financial advisor Mr. Poe, but Poe is often oblivious to the danger that Olaf represents. Poe originally assumes that Olaf is a very generous man for watching the Baudelaires, but eventually realizes that Olaf is a villain, and realizes the horrors that are around him. In subsequent books, the Baudelaires find out about a secret organization, V.F.D., which Count Olaf is involved with. Gradually, they find out more and more about V.F.D. and what a large part it has played (or is playing) in their lives. The series took a drastic turn after the seventh book, The Vile Village, with the children on the run from the law, and Count Olaf no longer needing disguises. In The Beatrice Letters and The End, it is suggested that the books are actually written for Snicket's niece Beatrice, who wanted to know about the Baudelaires.
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General storyline
Each of the Series of Unfortunate Events picks up from the last, finding the three orphans in some new situation, typically not of their making. The locale of each book's critical events is identified in the book's title.
The thirteen books have two distinct phases. After the first book sets the tone, the following five books follow its same basic structure:
The Baudelaires are left in the care of an eccentric guardian or guardians, usually extremely inadequate. Aside from Uncle Monty in The Reptile Room, all guardians have been either unconcerned with the orphans' care or too afraid to do anything about it.
Count Olaf usually appears in a disguise so effective that seemingly only the Baudelaires can recognize him. When they try to warn the adults about him, they will be disregarded.
Usually only Sunny's siblings, Violet and Klaus, can understand and translate her bizarre (e.g. "Freijip","Sanks", "Varni", etc.) form of baby talk.
Count Olaf will often have one or more disguised assistants: the Hook-Handed Man, the person of indeterminate gender, the bald man with the big nose, or the two powder-faced women.
A symbol of a giant eye is found in connection with almost every villain (principal villains are usually Olaf in disguise).
Violet's inventions, Klaus's knowledge, and/or Sunny's sharp teeth save them from tragic events and Count Olaf's latest scheme.
Count Olaf's identity will be revealed to the shocked adults, who don't seem to remember that the Baudelaires warned them that he was Count Olaf in the first place.
Count Olaf will escape at the last minute, and the Baudelaires will be sent to live with another guardian.
The seventh book - The Vile Village - marks a critical transition for the Baudelaires. The book begins as the first six, with an entire village taking over as incompetent guardian to the three orphans. In the middle of the book, the tone shifts. After being framed for the murder of Jacques Snicket (Lemony Snicket's brother), the orphans go on the run, and on the offensive, at times even pursuing Count Olaf rather than being pursued.
In these later books, while V.F.D. and associated elements have become less and less important, the children have become correspondingly more self-reliant. They often search out information on their own rather than waiting for Olaf to find them. After the seventh book, the Baudelaires are now on the run after the Daily Punctilio publishes false information accusing them of killing Count Olaf (incorrectly identified as "Count Omar"). Mr. Poe is no longer seeking guardians for them, and any adult acting in the best interests of the children in future books could be considered unofficial guardians at best.
Beginning with Book 8, The Hostile Hospital, it is the Baudelaires who begin to adopt disguises to fool Olaf and his troupe, and not the reverse. Since Count Olaf is not really dead, but everyone believes that he is, he no longer needs to wear a disguise.
Olaf's goals expand as well. Count Olaf no longer focuses on obtaining only the Baudelaire fortune; he is also attempting to get his hands on the Quagmire sapphires, the Snicket file, and the sugar bowl.
The Baudelaires are seeking to find more information about the secret of Olaf's tattooed ankle and the organization V.F.D., which seem to be connected to a mysterious string of arsons. They are also wondering about the importance of the sugar bowl and whether their parents are still alive.
The later books will reveal that the eye is the symbol for the organization V.F.D. and that these very letters are disguised within it (The Carnivorous Carnival). In fact, the entire series has been about V.F.D., first mentioned by the Quagmire triplets in The Austere Academy.
The reader discovers that many of the various guardians, villains and auxiliary characters that the orphans encountered in the first six books are somehow involved in V.F.D., including their parents. V.F.D. was once a virtuous secret organization, dedicated to fighting fires - figurative and real. But it has undergone a schism that has pitted former members against one another -- some still fighting fires, others starting them.
More interestingly, many of the main characters - including Olaf - have been orphaned. Olaf's parents were killed with poison darts, as said in The Penultimate Peril. The most likely perpetrators would be the Baudelaire parents at the opera. Many have been orphaned by members of the organization, often having their homes burned down. Others have been killed by fires as well.
A number of these are groups of three children - the Baudelaires, the Quagmires, the Snickets, the powder-faced women (who had a sibling die in a fire) and the Denouements.
Olaf's minions begin to die and are replaced by new accomplices who join his troupe. These newcomers usually shared a bond with the Baudelaires before crossing over to Olaf's wickedness. The most important is Esmé Squalor, the city's sixth most important financial advisor, who begins to chase the Baudelaires after book six. She is Count Olaf's girlfriend, till they break up at the end of The Penultimate Peril.
All three children develop in both subtle and obvious ways. Klaus and Violet both celebrate birthdays, and both meet romantic interests (although one ends in some angst when she joins Olaf's troupe). Sunny shifts from being a helpless baby and begins to speak in sophisticated single word utterances, a variety of incomplete sentences, and some 4-10 word sentences as well. Their meaning is either disguised by being spelled phonetically (e.g. 'surchmi' in The Slippery Slope), through cultural references (Sunny says: 'Matahari', followed by a definiton of 'If I stay, I can spy on them and find out.'), or being written in other languages. Sunny also outgrows her teeth as her primary skill and adds cooking to her list of abilities, solving problems with both these skills.
Lemony Snicket starts each chapter with a description of something irrelevant to the story, before linking it back to the Baudelaires and their current situation. Also, at the start of every book, there are descriptions about Violet, Klaus and Sunny (their area of expertise, what they usually do, etc.).
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Lemony Snickets writing style
Lemony Snicket narrates with respectful, subtle humor, usually when explaining words, details, and analogies. He often uses a deliberate spoiler for suspense.
Despite the general absurdity of the books' storylines, Lemony Snicket will continuously maintain the story is true and that it is his "solemn duty" to record it.
Lemony Snicket will hold an attitude toward the Baudelaires which could almost be described as hero-worship. His portrayal of the other characters will also be one-sided.
Snicket will often go off on humorous asides, talking about his personal life, opinions of various matters, etc. The details of his alleged personal life are largely absurd. For example, Snicket claims to have been chased by an angry mob for sixteen miles.
Snicket will display a greater aversion for macabre elements than the average reader. Whenever the story is reaching a depressing point, he will beg the reader to stop reading and imagine a happy ending.
Snicket will display a cynical outlook on life. It's implied he became embittered due to events that occurred in his past.
In The Beatrice Letters, this was revealed to be Beatrice Baudelaire. Lemony asked her to marry him; they had known each other in rhetoric class at the V.F.D. headquarters since they were about eleven. She wrote a 200 page book on why she couldn't, for reasons unknown. Eventually, she married Bertrand Baudelaire.
Snicket often uses strange and specific similes, in which an event in the story is described as being like a situation that would rarely occur, though Snicket goes into great detail about it, perhaps describing past experiences of his such as described above.
Snicket will translate for the youngest Baudelaire orphan, Sunny, who in the early books can only say words or phrases that only make sense to her siblings. This becomes less common as Sunny begins to speak real words.
Snicket always criticizes the fairy tales which are always dull and do not make much sense.
When describing a character that the Baudelaires have met before, Snicket often describes the character first and does not reveal the name of the character until the last moment.
Snicket will always attempt to convince the reader to read a different book.
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Themes
While the books are marketed primarily to children, they are written with adult readers in mind; the series features many references more likely to make sense to adults. Many of the characters' names allude to other fictional works or real people with macabre connections. For instance, the Baudelaire orphans are named for Charles Baudelaire, and Sunny and Klaus take their first names from Claus and Sunny von Bülow; Uncle Monty warns the children never to let the Virginian Wolfsnake near a typewriter, referencing both Monty Python and Virginia Woolf; the two triplets that the Baudelaire children befriend are named Isadora and Duncan after Isadora Duncan; and Snicket's dead former lover Beatrice may be a reference to Beatrice Portinari. The names that Violet and Klaus take, Beverly and Elliot, when they are disguised as circus freaks, are the names of the twin gynecologist brothers that Jeremy Irons played in the movie Dead Ringers. Poe's children, Edgar and Albert, refer to Edgar Allan Poe (the name Albert while possibly chosen so as to not make it too obvious, may also refer to Edgar Albert Guest who is also mentioned in book 11). Also relating to Edgar Allan Poe is the Nevermore Tree, which is the roosting place of the V.F.D. crows in The Vile Village. The word "Nevermore" is repeated throughout his poem, The Raven. Also, the character Esmé Squalor is most likely a reference to J. D. Salinger's short story, For Esmé with Love and Squalor. Interestly enough, Salinger's initials (J. S.) are a common set of initials throughout the series belonging to Jacques Snicket, Justice Strauss and Esmé's ex-husband Jerome Squalor. It should be noted that Salinger's first name is Jerome as well. More obscure literary references also abound, perhaps in keeping with the common theme of being 'well-read', examples being Sunny suggesting "Orlando" during a discussion of the henchperson of indeterminate gender, a reference to Virginia Woolf's Orlando; Hurricane "Herman", a possible reference to Herman Melville in keeping with the nautical themes in The Wide Window; the skipping of auction lot 49 (a valuable postage stamp) in The Ersatz Elevator refers to Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49 the title of which refers to the auction lot
Social commentary is a major element in the books, which often comment on the seemingly inescapable follies of human nature. The book consitently presents Baudelaires as free thinking, independent people, while almost everyone in the world around them obey authority and succumb to mob psychology, peer pressure, ambition, and other social ills. A high account is given to learning, with those who are "well-read" often being sympathetic characters, while those who shun knowledge are villains.
The books also have strong themes of moral relativism, with the Baudelaires becoming more confused during the course of the series about the difference between right and wrong, feeling they have done many wicked things themselves, and struggling with the question of whether the intentions behind an action justify it. Characters that are evil are throughout the story shown to have many sympathetic aspects and often have led quite difficult lives, and the good character's flaws become major problems. Lemony Snicket makes it clear that he has little patience for those who only see one point of view, without considering both sides to an argument. Almost every major character in the books have lived a life quite as difficult as that of the Baudelaires, especially the villains. The books seem to highlight the choices that we must all make when faced with such incredible odds.
The books seem to be set in a fictional universe or alternate version of earth with stylistic similarities to both the 19th century and the 1930s, though with contemporary, seemingly anachronistic technology and scientific knowledge. Although the film version sets the Baudelaires' mansion in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, real places are rarely mentioned in the books. A notable exception occurs in The Reptile Room, where Uncle Monty and the Baudelaires plan a trip to Peru; there are also references to the nobility of North American regions, specifically the Duchess of Winnipeg and the King of Arizona.
Although the books can be classed as 'steampunk', in that they involve young people struggling against great odds in an anachronistic setting, the addition, in later books, of the mysterious organization known as V.F.D. have begun to push the story into the new genre of post-steampunk (in the same way that later additions to the cyberpunk genre are now classed as postcyberpunk).
The books can also be classified as absurdist fiction, due to their eccentric characters, quirky writing style and generally improbable storylines. Some might argue that these books could also be classified as black comedy, because of the mix of humorous and macabre elements.
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Unanswered questions
How did Fernald (the Hook-Handed Man) lose his hands?
Who leads V.F.D., if anyone? (The film adaptation identifies the Baudelaire parents as the V.F.D. leaders, but Lemony Snicket has never confirmed this idea.)
Who was the woman who took the Denouements when they were children?
What is the important object inside the sugar bowl? Where is it by The End?
Who was the mysterious man who offered the Baudelaires a taxi ride? (Many fans guess it to be Lemony Snicket himself)
What is the question-mark-shaped Great Unknown in the water? (This may be a reference to the final line of Charles Baudelaire's most well-known poem, The Voyage, which reads, "Into the unknown to find the new.")
Who started the fires at the Baudelaire, Quagmire, and Snicket mansions? (Although in the film it is strongly implied that Olaf was responsible, the books hint that this may not be the case.)
What happens to the Baudelaires when they leave the island? Althogh some believe they must have died because of the poster in the Beatrice Letters, at least Sunny must grow to reach maturity (assuing she was two at the end of the novels, she could only be fourteen by the end of The Beatrice Letters.)
Are Hector, Fiona, Fernald, Captain Widdershins and the Quagmire triplets still alive?
What was the relationship between Count Olaf and Kit Snicket?
Did Ishmael and the colony survive on the outrigger?
Who killed Olaf's parents with poison darts and how were the Baudelaire parents involved?
Was it Duncan or Quigley who cried "Violet" in The End?
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Other notes
In the 7th book, the The Vile Village, Olaf's name in disguise is "Detective Dupin." This idea most likely came from Edgar Allan Poe's detective character, and the very first major literary character to work as a detective and to be referred to in text about him as a detective, "Auguste Dupin."
Despite the death of their parents and the "series of unfortunate events" they have endured, the Baudelaires seem to suffer few psychological effects (this was changed in the film). However, in The Penultimate Peril they did begin to wonder if their actions made them treacherous or not.
At the end of The End, it is revealed that there are two Beatrices. One Beatrice is Lemony's niece, and the other is the Baudelaire's mother.
In every book the Baudelaires encounter and/or use a library of some sort.
In every book the Baudelaires look directly at something that, if further examined, would answer many of their questions.
Around the cover illustration of each of the books is a border. The border describes an aspect of the book.
On the first page of every book, there are two circular pictures. The first one, on the top of the page, usually has the Baudelaires in it. The second picture, on the bottom, is of Count Olaf and the disguise he wears in the book. However, in the ninth book (The Carnivorous Carnival) and each subsequent novel, the picture of Olaf is the same one that appears in the first book (The Bad Beginning) and it is the Baudelaire’s picture which changes according to the disguise or outfit they wear. (This is because Olaf didn't have a disguise at that time, but the Baudelaires were disguised as "freaks"). In the final installment in the series, both the Baudelaires and Count Olaf appear undisguised, as they did in the first novel.
Each book in the series (except for the last book, which contains a separate 'book' entitled Chapter 14) has thirteen chapters, thirteen being regarded by some as an "unlucky" number.
The publisher of the books, HarperCollins has thirteen letters in its name.
Edger Allan Poe's name also contains thirteen letters, as does Lemony Snicket,Brett Helquist and Daniel Handler.
A Series Of Unfortunate Events has twenty six letters in its name, which is twice thirteen.
In each book, a page after the story ends, there is a picture which reveals something about the next book (e.g. In the first book, there is a snake which hints at the reptiles in the second book).
After the fourth book, the state of the letter from Snicket to his editor hints at the setting of the next story.
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Books
The series includes thirteen main books as follow:
See also Summary of novels in A Series of Unfortunate Events.
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Audio books
Most of the series of unabridged audio books are read by actor Tim Curry, though Books III-V are read by Handler as Lemony Snicket. The “Dear Reader” blurb is usually read by Handler (as Snicket) at the beginning, although it’s missing in The Hostile Hospital. He also usually reads the 'To my Kind Editor' blurb about the next book at the end. Starting at 'The Carnivourous Carnival' there is an actor who replaces Handler in reading the two blurbs, although they are skipped entirely in 'The Grim Grotto.' All of the recordings include a loosely related song by The Gothic Archies, a novelty band, featuring lyrics by Handler's Magnetic Fields bandmate Stephin Merritt.
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The Tragic Treasury
On October 9, 2006 in the UK, October 10, 2006 in the US and October 21, 2006 in Australia, The Gothic Archies' album The Tragic Treasury: Songs from A Series of Unfortunate Events was released. This is a collection of all the songs on the thirteen audio books of the series, along with two bonus tracks - one extra from The Canivorous Carnival, and one apparently about The Gothic Archies themselves. *
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Film
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Main article: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
A film version, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, based on the first three books, was released on December 17, 2004. It stars Jim Carrey as Count Olaf, Meryl Streep as Aunt Josephine, Billy Connolly as Uncle Monty, Emily Browning as Violet, Liam Aiken as Klaus, Kara & Shelby Hoffman as Sunny, and Jude Law as the voice of Lemony Snicket.
The film tie-in editions of the novels feature a variation on the usual reverse-psychology blurb: the blurb takes the form of a message from Count Olaf, listing the good points of the story (such as "a dashing count") but suggesting that it would be much easier and less boring to watch the movie instead.
Considering the success of the movie, the director and some of the lead actors hinted that they are keen on making a sequel, but no one has written a script as of yet. According to director Brad Silberling, the second movie would take its plot from the next few books. Also, Silberling is quite unhappy that the filming process took seven months instead of the seven weeks in which he claimed he could shoot the movie. Browning has said that any further films would have to be produced quickly, as the children do not age much throughout the book series (As The End reveals that the series took place over a year). Other plot discrepancies, such as Klaus's glasses breaking in the Miserable Mill (he has glasses in the film, but rarely uses them) may also hinder the production of any sequel.
A petition for Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events sequel has been signed over hereby thousands of Lemony Snicket fans. The petition will be sent to Paramount Pictures and other people involved in the making of the first film when enough signatures have been collected.
The film takes place in and around Boston, Massachusetts: The envelope at the end of the film is addressed to Boston, Mass. Perhaps incidentally, Viacom, Paramount's parent, owned 2 TV stations in Boston at the time of the film's release: CBS affiliate WBZ-TV, and UPN affiliate WSBK-TV (they are now owned by CBS Corporation).
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Awards
The Bad Beginning
Colorado Children’s Book Award
Nevada Young Readers Award
Book Sense Book of the Year (Finalist)*
The Wide Window
IRA/CBC Children's Choice*
The Ersatz Elevator
The Vile Village
IRA/CBC Children's Choice *
The Hostile Hospital
IRA/CBC Children's Choice*
The Grim Grotto
The Penultimate Peril
The 2006 Quill Book Awards - Children's Chapter Book/Middle Grade Winner *
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See also
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